John and Sue have a happy, healthy 8-week-old girl, Tyree. Sue now needs to return to work and they need to select a daycare for Tyree. John and Sue took several tours of different infant-toddler daycare facilities and need to make a choice where to leave Tyree while they work.
Child Care A: This facility is very clean and has lots of colorful objects and pictures. The shelves are low and contain safe, appropriate toys for sorting and stacking. There are tunnels for crawling and areas for resting. The teachers are always talking to the infants even during diaper and feeding times. Babies are held often and there are many teachers available to cuddle the babies. The center meets the state’s licensing requirements. Child Care A is more expensive than Child Care B.
Child Care B: This facility is also very safe and clean. There are some toys around the room but not a lot of areas for crawling and climbing. There are more infants in this room, so each is not held or spoken to as often as Child Care A, but the center meets the state’s licensing requirements. Because there are less teachers and toys, Child Care B is less expensive than Child Care A.
John and Sue are having trouble making a decision. They really love Child Care A, but it is more expensive, and although they can afford it, they would also love to save some money. John and Sue turn to you, a child development specialist to help them.
After evaluating this case, please answer the following:
- Which childcare choice is best for Tyree and why? Make sure to address the following:
- Support your answer with the research and theories discussed in Units 3 and 4. Be sure to include Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development and Piaget’s Cognitive Stages of Development to explain your choice of daycare facilities.
- Be sure to address the cognitive, physical, and social needs of infants and include attachment theory to support your daycare choice.
